Universal coupling and the manufacture thereof



R. J. ALPE UNIVERSAL GOUPLING AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF 1'7. 1923 3 Sheets-Shee.

. Filed Sepi' 4 as/4 4% 4 a.; wem 4 1 May l2, 1925.

R. J. ALPE UNzvERsAL coUPLING AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May l2; 1925.

` R. J. ALPE UNIVERSAL COUPLING AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed sept. 17. 1923 3 sheets-sheet 's l Il Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES ROBERT JOHN ALPE, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

UNIVERSAL COUPLING AND THE IVIANUFACTURE THEREOF.

Application filed September 17, 1923. Serial No. 663,266.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT Joi-IN ALPE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 56 Crompton Road, I-Iaiidsworth, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented certain Improvements in or Relating to Universal Couplings and the Manufacture Thereof, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating to flexible universal couplings, and to the manufacture of such couplings, suitable for the transmission mechanism of automobiles, and for like purposes, and relates more particularly to couplings of the type involving` a disc or annulus of non-metallic material, such for example as vulcanized fibre or rubber, which disc is coupled at uniformly spaced concyclic points tothe driving and driven elements in such a vmanner as to permit of an angular disposition of theseelements in relation to eachother during the transmission of`power from one to the other and further rinvolving an internal cord or like reinforcement embodied in saiddisc or annulus.

The invention has for its purpose the provision of a particularly strong and efficient construction of coupling 'of this type,

Vwherein the resilient disc or annulus Vis effectively protected lagainst extreme torsional strains, for example during the starting of the motor or the like, and also against extremeY strains in an' axial direction, thereby avoiding permanent buckling or distortion of the disc without in any way impair- `ing its necessary resilience, and also facilitating the efficient operation of the coupling even at considerable variations in the angular dispositions of the driving and According to the present invention a exible universal coupling disc or annulus ofthe 'type 'referred to is provided wherein the cord or like reinforcement is wound in crossed formation and in superposed layers so as to provide an aggregation' of intersecting bights of the cord, these intersecting biglits of the `cord. beingfin' the 1finished disc or annulus,` uniformlyseparated by Asubstantially diamond-shaped `flexible fillings, sothat the reinforcement is in its entity enabled substantially to oppose the tensional stresses4 set Vup inY af circumferential direction, and to thereby avoid 'permanent buckling or distortion of the disc or annul us due to the stretching action between adjacent pairs of the concentrically-disposed points of attachment. The invention further includes a winding frame whereby the cord or like reinforcement may be conveniently wound, such frame including upstanding main pegs corresponding to the concyclically-disposed points of attachment of the coupling disc, further upstanding secondary pegs corresponding to the rivet holes required for attachment of external stiffening plates for the coupling disc', and an external annular series of closely-spaced upstanding pins or wires around which the bights of the cord are looped in the winding operation.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into'practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatory i sheets of drawings, upon which:-

Figure l is a perspective view of a winding frame used in the manufacture of 'a flexible coupling disc or annulusin accordance with the invention. i v f i Figure 2 is a plan of theframe shownl in Figure l and illustrati-ng the method of winding the cord thereon.

' Figure 3 is a plan illustrating azslightly different form of frame and winding.

Figure 4 is a plan Vof the cord winding shown in Figure 2 removed from the winding frame.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-section showing the cord winding built up into disc formation in readiness for the pressing and vulcanizing operation.

Figure 6 is a similar `view of the disc after such operation.

Figure `7 is a plan of Figure 6.y

Figure 8 is a plan of the reinforced'flexible disc complete with external stiffening plates. Y' i Figures 9 and l() are diagrammatical views illustrating the flexible lazy-tongs ac- .tion of the crossed cord reinforcements and ing in annular formation therefrom, the diameterof 'thisv annular pin formation Acorresponding substantially to the diameter of the coupling disc to be produced. 7i-thin this annular series of upstanding pins b is provided concentrica-lly an annular series of main pegs 0 upstanding from the base plate a in uniformly-spaced relation corresponding to the holes required for the points of attachment 'ofl :the couplingdisc, 'and a furtherfseries 'ofsinafll'er secondary pegs 'cl upstan'ding from the base plate in `spacedrelation about each' (of the-@series of main pegs 0,150 la'sto correspond-to' the rivet holes required in connection with the attachment of external stidening plates on opposite faces to'f the coupling fd'ilsc.- y Y The reinforcing cord y0r the like "e, preferably inthe forinoffa pure Egyptian` cotton cord of substantial tensile strength, say 15 lb's., is Wound in successive"substantially parallel'bightse1 Which at their extremities 'are looped around adjacent pins b of the upstanding yannular "series k'these closelyspaced .parallel looped :bights e1 of 'the Winding being disposed in theplan'eef the disc and' inparallelrelation to an altern-ate pair of the "main pegsr'c, on `one 7'or 'bothside's thereof, fandthe layer of parallel 'cord 'bights -el thus provided extending frolnwa circumferential point of the Winding frame zto -a point adjacent the centre'thereO,wvith an 'intervening centralspace and spaces g yat lpoints opposite the upstanding pegs c and d. On completion of this layer of fspaced parallel. cord Ibights el, the Winding ii-scontinued iat a 4different angle Ybut in Asimilar manner in a superp'osed planeyin, parallel relation-to the neXtalte'rnate lpair ofniain pegs fc,-and so on around the en'ti'rewinding fra-me, this varrangement providing super- -posed layers of *closely-'spaced ,parallel cord bights e1, the bights of the respective .layers :being disposed insymmetrically crossed or :intersecting irelation, and the Winding being continued to provide Y a number of superposed layers correspondlngft'o Athe thickness "and sti'engthofcoupling disc required.

As the bights e1 ofwsuccessive'layersjof this cord Windingc are vdisposed in parallel relation to fsu'ccessive `alternate 'pairs "of. main :pegs c, these cord bights elfo-f 'they successive ayers, at their points of intersection beltiveenfadj acent pegs, are disposedf-cbliquely Yor :diagonally inv relation tov linesy directly connecting each adjacent pair of pegs '0, so

that inthisfmanner afniult-iprlicitywof .more

or less diamond-shaped sjzyaces''aire` provided fbetweenthe cord loightsl @1 of 'successive layers ofthe Winding. 4 c

'On 3theWindfng being completed,l"the cord reinforcement e in its yentirety iis liftedfrom the' pinsand pegs offthe vWinding frame (see Figure 4i) "andf thenf'thoroilighly dried for build-ing up-,into .the 4`coupling discl 'or annufacing disc of rubber or vthe like is then i applied, and iinallya peripheral strip'flcof rubber `or 'the like, the 'Whole being 'then subjected to' vulcanizati'on undergreat'pres- `s"ure in; a vu'lcanizing mould, the rubber becoming quite plastic during such vulcanization, so as to completely lill in the 'diamondshape'd spaces and ensure a ho'i'nogeneous yet perfectly flexible coupling disc or annu- 'flus l (see Figures G and 7)-, which .may then be 'fitted with the usual' eXtei-nalestifffening plates m secured by rivets 'n' l( see Figure '8). Tn this "disc or -annulus the concentricallly disposed' points of attachment for the connecting -spiders are indicated iat o, and the rivet holes at A0. Y

When 1a flexible' universal coupling iis-at work and is pulled kover to an angle of about 20 degrees to' the jnormal "axis of 'the disc, as is usual IOna-n automobile, the coupling disc iis stretched in' a circumferential direction, causing the distances "between tWof-adj acent points 'of 'attachment of its-conln'ectingwspiders to be lengthened, this circui'nferential stretching for lengthening ordinarily causing permanent. buckling Ior distortion of thefdisc. The diamond-shaped rubber: fill-ings of the present inventiomhowever, Tunder thefaction -of thisV circumferential stretching-Or lengthening 'between adj acentfpoints of uttachment- '0, haven: kind Aof lazy-tongsmovement which, Whilst 'permitting- -of 'the necessary circumferential stretching or lengthening, ensures vthe complete 'return 'of the disc to its-normal plane, and thereby-en'- -tirely :avoids permanent ybuckling or distorticn. LThisfeature isfillzustrated diagramimatica'lly in Figures QuandlG-,in which q represents one of the diamond-shanedrubb'erillings between the obliquely l'or diagonally intersecting bights 'elof the cordremforcement, Figi'irefl-zshowing the filling in its normal I condition, -and Figure l() the "sam'e' filling stretched in the directionof y en as. the looped parallel cord bights et df each A'layer ofy 'the Awindingare disposed. .in parallel relation to alternate points of attachment 0 of the disc, in a disc having six concyclically disposed points of attachment o as illustrated, for engagement with a pair of three-armed spiders, the intersecting angle would be 60 degrees (see Figures 2 and 1I), providing diamond-shaped spaces and elastic fillings of a particularly effective character, Whilst yin the case of a disc having four concyclically-disposed points of attach` ment for engagement with a pair of twoarmed spiders, the intersecting angle Would be 90 degrees (see Figure 3), providing spaces and fillings of square formation, which are adapted for the lazy-tongs opening and closing movement in a varying degree.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A flexible universal coupling disc or annulus of the type referred to, wherein the cord or like reinforcement is Wound in crossed formation and in superposed layers so as to provide an aggregation of intersecting bights of the cord7 forming substantially diamond shaped lling openings and substantially diamond-shaped flexible fillings in said openings which permit of the necessary stretching Whilst avoiding permanent buckling or distortion of the disc.

2. A Winding frame comprising a base, a series of main pegs upstanding therefrom and corresponding to the concyclically disposed points of attachment of the disc to the driving and driven elements, a series of upstanding secondary pegs corresponding to the rivet holes required for attachment of external stiffening plates for the disc, and an external annular series of closely spacca upstanding pins for the looping of the bights of a cord.

3. The method of form-ing a flexible cotipling disc as set forth in claim 1 by providing a base With upstanding pegs and corresponding to the form of disc to be Wound and passing the thread diametrically in various directions so as to embrace all of said pegs, and to form a fabric with substantially diamond-shaped flexible filling openings for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto setV my hand.

ROBERT JOHN ALPE. 

